Bossier to open multi-million dollar fire station.

The Bossier City riverfront attracts thousands each day to casinos and the boardwalk. Now the city, struggling with a major budget shortfall, is investing millions to keep you safe. Nbc 6 reporter Karen Hopkins joins us live from the new Bossier City fire station.

The station is high tech, and take the largest in Bossier City. It’s a huge improvement from the old station. The fire chief says it could save lives.

Fire driver Matt Lauterbach rushes to help people in need. He knows firsthand, the trauma of a family emergency. “I lost my mom when I was 22. This is the same fire department that worked on her. After I saw what these guys did, I said I got to be part of this force."

He now works at the busiest station in Bossier City. Built in 1957, it's nearly 60 years old. Times have changed. The station answered 300 more calls last year, compared to ten years ago. "We make a lot of responses to the casinos you've got thousands of people each week in there."

To keep up, Bossier City will replace the old facility. The new fire station number 6 cost $3.5 million.
Although Bossier faces budget shortfalls, the money came from casino taxes. The city uses the revenue only for building projects.

The old garage was too small, Chief Sammy Halpen points out the new one can fit a ladder truck to reach people in high rise casinos. “One bad event could affect thousands of lives in one building. We have those. We have to be prepared for that."

The city also invested in this high tech filtration system. It removes toxins brought in from fire trucks.
“They don't have to inhale anything harmful."

This is Bossier's first fire station with pole. “I like the tradition behind it, I think it's cool."
Fire driver Chris Dison says a station is like a home, he lives there while waiting for calls. "We're like family" The family will move from tight sleeping quarters to individual rooms, and from a cramped kitchen to a spacious one. “We're going to do the job no matter where we work."

The firefighters will move in here by the end of the month. It's location, near I-20 and the parkway makes it easy for firefighters to help other departments during major emergencies. The city says having this new station will attract other businesses to build in Bossier.

Another new, state of the art, fire station is already in the works. Station number 5, along Swan lake road should be complete by next year. A bond issue funded the construction of the station to keep up with the growth of cyber innovation.